Spring mattresses, cushions, seats and similar articles



P. R. ROBELL July 9, 1957 SPRING MATTRESSES, CUSHIONS, SEATS AND SIMILARARTICLES Filed March 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 9, 1957 ROBELL2,798,233

SPRING MATTRESSES, CUSHIONS, SEATS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed March 26,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Pad/0 Faa V/ZQ limited States Patent"Ofilice SFRIN G MATTRESSES, CUSHIONS, SEATS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES PauloR. Rebel], Sao Paulo, Brazil, assignor to No-Sag Spring Company, WarrenTownship, Maeomb County, Mich, a corporation of Michigan ApplicationMarch 26, 1954, Serial No. 419,297 3 Claims. (Cl. -351) This inventionrelates to improvements in spring mattresses, cushions, seats andsimilar articles, and particularly to improved reinforcing structure forthe framing wires thereof.

It has been the practice in the past to construct mattresses, cushionsand similar articles from coil springs confined within flexible borderwires which are spaced apart and define the length, breadth andthickness of the spring assembly. When springs are selected forsupporting a particular load per unit area when the seat is occupied,sufficient strength is not provided for the border wires when the loadis concentrated thereon. For example, when one is lying upon a mattress,the load is spread over a substantial area, while when one is sitting onthe edge of the mattress a substantial concentration of the load occursat the point occupied.

The present invention pertains; specifically to the utilization ofreinforcing elements or supports between the two edge border wires whichare interconnected by a brac ing member disposed internally of theassembled springs between the top and bottom surfaces of the assembly.The reinforcing or supporting elements are made of spring material andare preferably bent into V form so as to engage the top and bottomborder wire. The apex of the V element is secured to a bracing memberspanning the mattress, cushion and the like midway between the top andbottom surfaces thereof. The V elements may be made of wire bent intosinuous zigzag formation or into the shape of jack springs. The Velement may also be of strap material, as will be explained hereafter.All of such structures provide reinforcement for resiliently supportingthe border wires disposed about spring assemblies which are returned toinitial position relative to each other after being deflected.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a supportfor the border wires of a mattress, cushion or the like which retainsthem in predetermined spaced relation to each other while permittingthem to defleet under load; to provide oppositely disposed V-shapedreinforcing elements for spaced border wires disposed about a springassembly which are interconnected by a bracing member for strengtheningthe border wires and returning them to their initial spaced relationwhen unloaded; to provide V-shaped supporting elements for spaced borderwires to which the free ends are connected, with the apexes of the Velements retained in position by a bracing member disposed midwaybetween the planes of the border wires, and, in general, to providereinforcing means for spaced border wires which is simple inconstruction, positive in operation and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will bespecifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for abetter understanding of the invention, to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is :a plan view of a mattress, with a part broken 2,798,233Patented July 9, 1957 away, disclosing the reinforcing and supportingelement of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken view of the reinforcing and supportingelement illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, asviewed from line 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2,showing a different form thereof;

Fig. 5 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2,showing a still further form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structureillustrated in Fig. 5, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. 7 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 5,showing another form of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 7,showing still another form of the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 8.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a mattress 19 is illustrated by way ofexample, embodying a plurality of rows of coil springs 11 which arejoined at the top and bottom by helical springs 12 to form a springunit. The spring unit is confined within a bottom and top border wire 13of rectangular shape and of such length and width as. to produce adesired dimension to the mattress after padding material 14 and trimmaterial 15 are applied thereto in the conventional manner. At certainpoints throughout the length of the mattress, reinforcing structuresembodying features of the present invention are employed for maintainingthe border wires 13 in predetermined relation to each other and forproviding additional support against deflection under concentrated load.The reinforcing and supporting elements are aligned on opposite sides ofthe spring assembly so that a bracing member may be provided between therows of coil springs and disposed in fixed relation to the reinforcingand supporting elements. The bracing member retains the reinforcing andsupporting element in desired position and is preferably disposed midwaybetween the top and bottom surfaces of the spring assembly.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a reinforcing and supporting element 16comprises a sinuously formed wire, one which is bent back and forth toprovide oppositely presenting loops 17 joined by straight portions 18,as conventionally employed in the art. The straight portions 18 adjacentto the central loop 19 are twisted to form two arms 21 which are in Vrelationship to each other. The straight portions 18 adjacent to theloop 19 are bent outwardly at right angles to have the loop 19 disposedon the center line of the two arm portions 21. A stamping 22 has acylindrical portion 23 and a U-shaped portion 24 which is clamped aboutthe loop 19 to have the two arm portions 21 supported by the stamping inextension thereof. A bracing rod 25 is secured within the tubularportions 23 of two of the stampings 22 and is disposed between a pair ofrows of the coil springs, with the ends 26 of the arm portions 21secured to the border wires 13 by bands 27 in the conventional manner. Aplurality of such assemblies of the V-shaped reinforcing and supportingelements, stampings 22 and the bracing rods 25 are mounted across thewidth of the spring assembly throughout the length thereof.

In Fig. 4, a similar V-shaped bracing and supporting element 28 isillustrated. The element is made from a similar sinuously formed wire,the central straight portion of which is twisted to provide two arms 29disposed in V relation to each othe A stamping 31, formed to have acylindrical portion 32 and a cylindrical portion 33 disposed at rightangles thereto, has the latter portion secured about the centralstraight portion 18 of the element to form a support therefor. Thebracing rod 25 extends within cylindrical portions 32 of a pair of thestampings 31 to support the elements 28 at the ends thereof. A pluralityof the reinforcing and supporting assemblies are secured. to theborderwires 13 of a spring assembly in the manner pointed out hereinaboye withregard to the structure illustrated in. Fig. 2,

In Fig. 5, a. further form of the invention is illustrated, that whereina pair of steel strips. 34 has arms 35 bent outwardly at the ends, so asto be in relation to each other when the central portions of the stripsare secured in fixed relation to each other by bands 36. Border wires 37are illustrated as being flat or rectangular in section, but it is to beunderstood that the bracing and reinforcing and, supporting elementsherein. described may be applied to the border wires of cylindrical orany other cross. section. Stampings 38 are employed for securing theends, of the arms 35 .t o the border. wire by having the end 41 wrappedthereabout. A branch. 39, of the stamping encompasses the end of the arm35 and thereby secures the border wire to the end of the arm.

In Fig. 7, a similar arrangement is illustrated for bracing the borderwires and providing a support therefor, embodying separate arms 42having end portions43 bent at an angle thereto and secured to a bracingbar 44 by suitable means, herein illustrated as by a rivet 45. The arms42 are disposed in V relationship to each other and have clips 46secured to the ends thereof by a rectangular-shaped socket 47. The endof the clip.hav-. ing a slot 48 therein which receives the border wire37 is retained therein when the ends 49 are clinched thereover, asillustrated in the figure.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a still further form of the invention, thatwherein a jack spring 51 is employed at each end of the rod 57. Thespring is made of wire having arms 52 extending in V relation to eachother from a central coiled section 53. The coiled section is secured bya stamping 54 to the end of the rod 57. The stamping has a first portion55 which is clinched about the coil and a cylindrical section 56 atright angles theretowhich is clinched about the end of a bracing rod 57.The ends of the arms 52 are bent at right angles, as at 8, and aresecured by bands 59 to the border wire 13.

In all of the various forms herein illustrated, reinforcing andsupporting means are provided on opposite sides of the spring assemblyfor reinforcing and spacing the border wires from each. other. connectedby a rod extending across the width of the assembly to be disposedmidway between the top and bottom surfaces thereof. Clips, are employedto secure The elements are inter-.

the ends of the V-shaped spring arms to border wires of rectangular,cylindrial or'other cross section. It is to be understood that the difierent types of arms, whether made of wire stock or strap material, may besecured to the border wires of different cross-sectional formation sincethe particular shape of the border Wires or the stock material formingthe V-shaped arms does not enter into the specific invention embodied inthe various reinforcing assemblies.

What is claimedisz;

l. A reinforcing element. for the border edges of a mattress, cushionand like having resilient load sup- Porting m n he e n s idelemq t mbyin a bracing rod, a clamping element secured" at each end of the rod, apair of V-shaped sinuoi s spring strips made of wire and formed to haveadjacent oppositely presenting loops, and means securing the centralportions of the strips to opposite eh so e r d. ith he end of. t e r p dnhs n space rel i a.

2.-'A e nf rci eleme t. for the ordere s s of a mattress, cushion andthe like having resilient load sup-. Po ing mea s her in, aid. le en mboyi g. bracing o a mpi e ement. hea ed awash nd o he d nd. a pair o "sinqus p in hip mad f r and o med o ha e. adja en t pnoeitelrtreswfins p nn he ente to fq nt e n subst ntial y V relati n.- p o. h oth r. h y h thy re pq o s d to i c a ming el ments 3 A reinforcing element embodying abracing rod, a lamp n men fsewr d at ea h n of the n a pai i ous sprig,- tr p mad o re and formed. to ha a ja n opi site y Pr s ntin o Said ping bent at each side ofthe central loop to form ann p rti ns ispqse s saatiallx i V r la h p to each other and with the centralv loop bent ataway from the plane of the strip on the longitudinal center line ereof,said en oq'psbeing sc d to the mp m nt a an nd of he rod-Y Refer nceCiedia he. i e hi pa UNITED: STATES PATENTS 1,445,409- Owen Feb. 13,1923 1,927,722 Stoerkel' Sept. 19, 1933 2,201,997 Freund May 28, 19402,719,578 Flint Oct. 4, 1955 FOREIGN arents 410,907 Great Britain May31, 1934

